


The Meaning of Family

by wiseowlassassin



Category: The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Also fluff, M/M, there's plot i promise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-02
Updated: 2017-06-01
Packaged: 2018-11-07 22:40:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11068566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wiseowlassassin/pseuds/wiseowlassassin
Summary: Being a child of one of the most complicated families in all of history can make it difficult to decipher what family actually means. But Nico can learn a lot from Will and his family. And Will can learn a lot from Nico and his... family. And meanwhile, with Will's father being cast down from Olympus, Will's sister being kidnapped, and the four horses of the sun chariot running amok, Will and Nico find themselves on a quest to hopefully help restore some semblance of order to all of their families.





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Will gets scolded by his mother, Will and Nico are that cute couple in the airport and the author is bad at third person limited perspectives

“Hey, Mama. Got your note.”

“William Alexander Solace! I told you to at _least_ send letters more often! If not call. Or that strange not-skype you and your father like.”

A sigh. 

“Yes, Mother.”

“Don’t ‘yes, mother’ me.” 

A pause. 

“Will, I’m glad you called. Though you should have waited for later. Emmaline will be upset she wasn’t home.”

“Mom, you know it’s more dangerous when we’re both on the line. And even then, it’s double worse after dark.”

“I know. But she misses her big brother.”

Another pause.

“Could you come home? At least for a few days? What I wouldn’t give to see your face, Will.”

“Mama, I… I don’t know that I could afford plane tickets at this moment. And things are so hectic right now. With the war and everything ended—”

“Please, William. You don’t have to be away for long. I’ll pay for the plane tickets; that’s no problem. And you aren’t the only one there who has a knack for healing. Come home. Please.”

Several seconds of silence.

“Alright, Mama. I’ll come home.”

“Good. I’ll get plane tickets for two days from now. The two o’clock from New York.”

“Yes, Mama.”

“And if you happen to catch your father anytime soon, tell him to give me a good sunset at my next concert, okay?”

“Of course, Mama.”

“That’s my boy. I’ll see you in two days.”

“I love you Mama. Tell Em that I love her too.”

“Of course. I love you too. And be safe.”

 

William Solace sat on the porch railing outside the Big House, watching as the normal camp activities wound down before dinner. Luckily, nothing too disastrous had happened in the past 24 hours since his call with his mother. Hopefully the trend would continue while he was away. It had been quite nice when he’d come back from his date with Nico the night before to find everyone still in one piece. Him and Nico had tried to go see a movie. But none of the movies had really sparked their interest. Instead, they had dinner at a café and walked through Central Park before returning to camp and going to bed.

Earlier, while Will had been working in the infirmary, Chiron had given him the envelope with his plane tickets, saying that Argus would be waiting at the top of the hill at eleven the next morning.

Will hadn’t even packed. His bunk was in its usual state of organized mess, random ace bandages piled in a corner, medical textbooks in another, clothes haphazardly tossed over the chest at the foot of his bed and an empty plate with only crumbs sat on the windowsill next to his bunk.

He shook his head. There were _slightly_ more important things he hadn’t done yet. For example, telling Nico that he’d be gone for a few days visiting family. Nico didn’t even really know about his family. He knew his mom was a singer. But he didn’t know about his younger sister, his stepdad, or his youngest brother. The topic of conversation had never really been breached.

Nico sat beside Will, looking up at him. “So how was your shift?”

“The infirmary was peacefully boring. A nice change.” Will shrugged. “But I got to organize everything. It was high time that happened.”

Nico snorted. “Well, capture the flag is tomorrow. I’m sure you’ll have plenty to do then.”

Will winced slightly. “About that…”

“What? You worried that Hephaestus cabin, Demeter cabin and I are gonna kick your sunny behinds out of the sky?” Nico smirked.

Will grinned slightly back at him. “I’m worried that I won’t be here to stop you from doing so.” He sighed. “I called Mom yesterday, after I got her note. She wants me home for a few days. It’s probably been over a year since I’ve been home. Maybe longer.”

Nico nodded and shrugged. “Hey. That’s cool. You’ve got a mom to go home to. You should take advantage of that.”

“I leave tomorrow morning.” Will said before sighing, looking distant.

Nico frowned slightly. “You seem… not terribly excited.”

“The last time I came back from home, I told myself that the next time I went back, I’d tell my mom about… well… you know…” Will shook his head, leaning back. “I’m not exactly eager to return home, to tell her that.”

Nico looked up. “You worried she’ll kick you out?”

“A bit, yeah.” Will made a grim face.

Nico nodded after a moment. He’d remembered when he’d accidentally let it slip to his dad. It had been a frustrating day, doubly so because of Percy Jackson, and one thing led to another and… oops. It was ten times more embarrassing since Persephone was walking through the throne room at that particular moment.

Nico had started backing away from his father and step mother, ready to dash into the nearest shadow and appear anywhere that wasn’t in the underworld. But Hades had simply shaken his head, shrugging. “Of all the things you could be, Nico, gay is probably the most tame.”

Persephone was softly giggling. “Your immortal family has done much worse.”

Nico shook his head, focusing on the present. “Well, you already know that your dad’s okay with it. And if things go wrong, message me and I’ll come pick you up.”

Will looked over, his brow arching. “You won’t overextend yourself while I’m gone?”

“Solace, I am not having to drag a 40 foot Athena Parthenos with me. Nor am I having to defend it.” Nico rolled his eyes. “I am _more_ than recovered. It’s been seven months.”

Will nodded in satisfaction. “Good.” He stood. “Well, I suppose I should go and pack.”

“Considering cabin inspections are tomorrow and the Aphrodite cabin is running them? Yeah. I’d say you should.” Nico smirked.

Will rolled his eyes. “Shut it, di Angelo. It’s not like your cabin is much cleaner.”

The next morning, Will’s bunk was spotless, his clothes neatly folded in their chest, sharing the space with his books and spare medical supplies. As always, he left a note with his mother’s phone number on his pillow in case anyone needed to get in touch with him while he was away. After shouldering his backpack, he said goodbye to his siblings and started to head towards Half-Blood Hill, where Argus was waiting for him.

While he was still worried about the revelation he’d be making to his family, he found it in himself to smile. Emmaline, his full-blooded sister, would no doubt be waiting for him. She’d most likely tackle him, give him a few well-deserved punches, and then ask about Camp Half-Blood. Maybe she’d finally convinced their mom to let her return with him. She’d only been begging for the last three years.

Nico strolled up beside him, hands in his pockets as he looked up at the Athena Parthenos that stood next to Thalia’s pine. He reached over to take Will’s duffel bag, blushing slightly as their hands brushed together for a second longer than necessary.

The pair strode in easy silence and met Argus at the top of the hill. He drove them to the airport and parked before cracking open a magazine and waving the pair out. Will turned in his duffel bag at the front counter before heading back towards the security gate. 

“Well, I guess this is where we—Nico?” Will looked around, his boyfriend suddenly no longer beside him. Then he looked past security, where Nico was leaning against a column and smirking at him. Will shook his head and rolled his eyes, going through security and meeting Nico on the other side. “You’re gonna get yourself killed one day by doing that.”

Nico snorted. “Unlikely. But your concern is touching.” He fell into step beside Will, their hands brushing every few steps.

Will smiled contently before sighing as he got to the gate. “You should get back to camp. You’ve gotta capture the flag from my cabin tonight.”

“It’s no fun if you’re not there.” Nico replied before looking up at Will as the flight was called to start boarding. “You’ll be safe, right? And you’ll make sure to send a message if you need help? For _any_ reason?”

Will nodded. Usually he was the overbearing and protective one. It was oddly comforting to have the situation reversed. “I will, Nico.”

“Good.” Nico pressed his lips to Will’s for a moment, closing his eyes before stepping back. “See you in a few days?”

“See you in a few days.” Will responded, smiling back at Nico before getting onto the plane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please bear with me through the next few chapters. I generally write in 3rd person omniscient so things are a little rough when you switch it up...


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Will arrives home and we learn a bit more about Emma

When Will landed in Austin, he hailed a taxi and was driven to the park near his mother’s home. He breathed in the cool winter air as the warm afternoon sun warmed his face while he stepped out of the taxi. Though his father might currently be mortal, the sun still offered him a sense of fatherly comfort and warmth. Even though his father wasn’t necessarily the fatherly type.

Will picked up his duffel bag after fishing his keys out from his backpack and started walking down the sidewalk.

“William Solace?”

Will turned, looking over at an older woman who was tending to the garden beds in her front yard. Miss Odom had lived in the neighborhood long before his mother had arrived. And often when Will and Emma were younger, they’d stay with the older woman, who doted on them as if they were her own grandchildren.

Miss Odom grinned, getting to her feet and going towards him. “It’s about time you came home.” She said before pausing, her face falling. “Though your mother must be worried sick. It’s no wonder you came home so quickly.”

“Miss Odom?” Will asked, frowning.

She shook her head. “You need to go home. We can catch up on your adventures some other time.” She pulled him into a hug before sending him on his way, a sad look in her eyes.

“Weird…” Will mumbled as he walked away. He stopped short as he arrived at his mother’s home and saw a police car in the drive. He supposed it wasn’t completely out of place. Being a somewhat famous singer, his mother had received her fair share of strange letters. She always turned them in to the police, just to be safe. After all, she did have three children to think about.

But this felt different to Will. Especially after his encounter with Miss Odom. He walked up to the front door and went to open it before stumbling as it opened when he reached for it.

“Oh. Sorry, my boy.” The officer said before looking back to Will’s mother. “We’ll keep you posted, Miss Solace. If you hear anything, please let us know. Otherwise, we’ll keep searching for her.” He said before walking back to his cruiser and leaving.

Will stepped inside and was immediately hugged by his mother. 

“Oh, thank heavens you’re home.” Naomi whispered before stepping back and worrying over his appearance, fussing with his hair and brushing out the wrinkles in his shirt. Her honey-blonde hair was tied back in a messy pony-tail and her eyes were bloodshot. Her blouse was wrinkled and didn’t go with her skirt, and the hair that wasn't contained by her ponytail floated every which way around her head, which was very much unlike her usual put together manner.

Will let her do her usual motherly thing before taking her hands as she tried to fix the hem of his sleeve for the third time. Her pulse was racing. “Mama, what’s wrong?”

Naomi glanced towards the kitchen, where her husband was making dinner, before leading Will into the study and closing the door. “William… Your sister has gone missing.”

Will’s face went blank, almost as if he’d been drained of all emotion, before he settled on an expression somewhere between anger and worry. “What happened?”

“I’m not certain.” Naomi said, her voice defeated.

Will had never heard her sound that way before. He could always tell his mother’s mood by her voice. Generally, she was upbeat and hopeful. Even when she was frustrated with them, she always sounded light and gentle. And she always spoke with a sense of spunk and fun. But now her voice was empty and hollow.

“The police think she’s run away. Emmaline got in a fight with Mark the other night. He doesn’t exactly want her to go with you to camp. He’s always been… wary of it all.” Naomi shook her head.

Will nodded after a moment. He didn’t hate his stepfather. He didn’t fault his mother for marrying him. But they’d never exactly seen eye to eye. They got along well enough to be a family. But stepfather-stepson time was few and far between. In fact, it hadn’t really happened since right after his mom had gotten married to Mark and they’d had their son together; Will’s half-brother Kurtis.

“How long has Emma been gone?” Will asked.

If his mother’s face could fall even more, it did. “Since yesterday.”

Will paled. _“Yesterday?_ One cold February night has passed since she disappeared and she didn’t come home?”

“I know. I don’t think she’s run away. She could very easily get hurt and she wouldn’t do that.” Naomi looked distantly out the window. “I think she’s been kidnapped.”

Will pinched the bridge of his nose before taking a breath and steeling his nerves. “I’m going after her.”

Naomi nodded. If she was at all surprised, she didn’t show it. “Will you be bringing some of your siblings from camp?”

“No. None of my siblings. I love them dearly and I trust them, but no.” Will shook his head. “I’ve got a different friend from camp in mind.”

 

Emmaline Solace liked to think she was fearless. Mostly because even the gravest of injuries and illnesses could be fixed. At least, she liked to think that way. The monsters, gods, titans and giants her brother always spoke of never scared her. In fact, they thrilled her. Her brother got to go off and take part in these exciting battles. Meanwhile, she had to endure a public education that wasn't exactly necessary.

But there was one thing that terrified Emma beyond all reason: The cold.

She’d been wrapped up in several layers that afternoon as she’d left school. Fleece-lined leggings beneath her jeans, three sweaters beneath her jacket, a wool scarf around her neck and a knit cap that covered her head. Not to mention her feet that were stuffed into several pairs of fuzzy socks and a pair of boots. Despite the layers and the sun, she was shivering. _How can it only be 50 degrees?_ She thought as she stuffed her gloved hands into her pockets that had handwarmers in them. _It feels like it should be colder._

But as she’d passed the park on her way home, things went wrong. Swirling clouds had formed overhead and Emma thought that maybe the freak winter storm the meteorologists had been talking about was finally upon them. But then she saw a blue giant standing over her. She could feel the cold radiating off his skin and in that moment, Emma decided that the freak weather was no random incident but was brought on by this massive being that stood over her.

Emmaline looked around the park and for anything or anyone who could help her. But no one was around. She started to run for home before she slid on the frosted sidewalk and a wall of ice erupted from the ground before her. When she looked back, she saw that she was surrounded by sheets of freezing cold ice.

She carefully reached to touch one of the sheets but the cold sent a shock through her and she fell back, hitting her head on the pavement and passing out.

When she awoke, she found herself in an old, deserted cabin. A single candle sat on the table, the flame fluttering as the wind tore through the poorly sealed slats of wood. Outside, it was pitch black and snow was falling.

“I see our honored guest has awoken.”

Emma jumped and turned, having not heard the woman enter.

The woman had black hair that was braided neatly back. Her skin was pale, her white dress washing her out even further. Patterns of frost danced across her dress and skin, freezing and then changing and then freezing again.

“Emmaline Solace. Daughter of Apollo. Chosen one of Asclepius.” The woman said carefully, each syllable hanging in the air as she said it. “Just to make things clear, my darling, you are currently in a cabin in Georgetown, Colorado. The normal high for this time of year is around… thirty degrees. But if you so much as squeak for help, I can make the temperature plummet. Are we clear?”

Emma stared at her defiantly, her blue eyes flashing. “The cold doesn’t scare me.”

The woman snorted. “No? Well, if the rumors of your curse are to be believed, I think it should scare you a great deal.” She shrugged before disappearing in a snow flurry.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Nico comes to visit and meets Will's family

Will stood in his bathroom, staring at his drachma before casting it into the rainbow of mist he’d rigged using his sink. “Oh Iris, please accept my offering. Show me Nico di Angelo.” The drachma disappeared into the mist but the image of the rainbow didn’t change.

“So, this is home sweet home, eh?” A voice said from Will’s room.

Will turned, frowning slightly. “How did you—it didn’t—what?”

Nico snorted before shrugging. “The message may not have gone through all the way, but I heard your voice for a moment.”

Will stared for a moment longer before sighing and turning off his sink.

“Did you tell her?” Nico asked softly.

Will shook his head. “No. I didn’t get the chance. I just got home.” He sat on the edge of his bed, looking out the window.

“What’s happened?” Nico sat beside him.

Will sucked in his lips. “My sister’s gone missing.”

“You… have a sister?” Nico frowned slightly.

Will nodded. “Her name is Emma. She’s my full-blood sister. Three years younger than me.”

Nico pursed his lips, studying Will for a moment before nodding. “You want some help tracking her down?”

“Yes. Please.” Will glanced over.

“Of course.” Nico smiled slightly. It was one of his genuinely kind smiles. One that almost seemed to light up his features.

A knock came at the door. “Will!” The door cracked open, Naomi peeking in. “Oh… Your friend got here rather quickly…” She trailed off before smiling softly between the pair. “Your stepfather’s finished dinner. And both of you are staying the night at least.”

“But Emma—”

Naomi cut her son off with a glance. “Your sister has always been strong. I trust she can hold out an extra night.”

Will nodded as his mother left.

“So, fill me in before we go downstairs. How many people are in your family?” Nico asked, looking over.

“Well, there’s my mom. You just met her. There’s Emma, obviously, but her full name is Emmaline. There’s my stepdad, Mark. And my half-brother, Kurtis.” Will explained. “We’ll just say that you came with me from New York. Mark is… well, he’s skeptical about Emma and I’s parentage. And the whole Greek gods aren’t myths and all that.”

Nico nodded. “Well then. Let’s go meet the family.”

The pair went downstairs and were immediately met by Kurtis. “Will!” The eight-year-old hugged him. “Did you bring Emma back with you?”

Will winced slightly before shaking his head. “Not yet. But don’t worry, Kurt. I’ll find her.”

Kurtis nodded and looked up to the other boy warily. “Are you one of Will’s siblings?”

Will had to resist the urge to snort. While Nico might have spent an inordinate amount of time around the Apollo cabin and with the Apollo campers, he was _definitely_ no son of Apollo.

“Nope. Just a friend from camp.” Nico replied.

“Cool.” Kurtis grinned toothily before going into the dining room.

Naomi looked over as the trio entered the dining room. “Did any of you wash your hands?”

All three exchanged slightly nervous glances.

Naomi rolled her eyes and pointed to the bathroom, silently ordering them to wash their hands before they returned to the table.

Mark sat at the head of the table once everyone had returned, arching a brow when he saw Nico. “William, we didn’t know you were bringing any… friends with you.”

“Family, this is Nico di Angelo. I’m sorry, Mark. It was a spur of the moment sort of thing.” Will replied. “Nico’s one of my good friends from camp and he wanted to see Texas.”

Naomi smiled warmly. “Well, we have plenty of space and plenty of food. Any friend of yours is welcome here.”

“Thank you, Miss Solace.” Nico dipped his head before starting to eat.

Dinner was terribly awkward. Small talk was attempted, but Nico and Will were no experts at small talk. At least, none that didn’t blatantly relate to fighting monsters or their godly parentage. Kurtis asked questions about camp and Will gave him his usual answers. But other than that, a heavy silence fell over the table.

Nico stood as he finished his dinner, collecting plates and starting towards the kitchen.

“Mr. di Angelo, what do you think you’re doing?” Naomi asked, frowning after him.

Nico frowned. “The dishes, ma’am?”

“Nonsense. You are a guest here.” Naomi said, getting up to take the dishes from him. “If anything, I should be making Will do them.”

“Thanks, Mama.” Will snorted, smirking at the battle of wills raging between his mother and his boyfriend. 

“It’s the least I can do, Miss Solace.” Nico replied simply, turning before she could take the dishes from him and going to wash them.

Naomi looked back to her son. “Your friend is quite strange, Will.”

Will smiled slightly and shrugged. “He’s one of a kind.”

Kurtis went to get ready for bed while Naomi went to check the voicemail in the study. The phone had been ringing off the hook while they were eating. Will was about to get up to help Nico before Mark looked over to him. “I know we haven’t always seen eye to eye, Will. About who your father is or who your family is or… any of that.” He sighed. “But I don’t care about that right now. I know you and your friend are going to leave at some point to find Emma. Just please bring her home.”

Will nodded. “We will.”

“Good.” Mark stood and looked awkwardly to Will. When Will was younger, they’d had a much better relationship. But that was before camp. The uneasy silence weighed between both until Mark finally spoke again. “Goodnight, Will.”

“You too, Mark.” Will said before going into the kitchen.

Nico looked over as he scrubbed a pan. Usually, he abhorred doing dishes. “Fun family.”

“It’s just tonight. We’re usually much more… talkative.” Will sucked in his lips.

Nico snorted. “Hey. They’re more fun than my family. My dad’s king of the underworld. Family dinners are few and far between. Unless it’s dinners with Hazel and her friends. Although having food flying at my head from the wind spirits at Camp Jupiter is a bit unnerving.”

“Your dad’s king of the underworld?” Kurtis asked, whispering from the doorway.

Both Nico and Will turned, staring at him. Neither realized he’d been standing there.

“Like, Hades in Mythomagic?” Kurtis had a hesitant smile and Will could tell he was gripping his card deck behind his back.

Nico blinked before shrugging, casually smiling. “Yeah. I mean, he’s a cool dad and all.”

“He’s gotta be the coolest!” Kurtis grinned before looking over at his older brother. “I mean, no offense, Will… I guess Apollo’s pretty cool too…”

Will snorted. “Don’t worry about it Kurtis.”

“Will, can you play a round of Mythomagic tonight? Before bedtime?” Kurtis asked hesitantly. “I think I’ve got a good strategy to kick your butt.”

“Sure.” Will smiled.

Nico blinked, looking between the pair. “Well, I can kick both your butts.”

“You play too?” Kurtis asked.

“Of course! What self-respecting kid doesn’t?” Nico asked.

Kurtis grinned before running to set his cards out on the table.

Will looked over to Nico, brow arched. “I thought you didn’t play anymore.”

“Well, you thought wrong, Solace.” Nico smirked, winking at Will before blushing and looking away.

Will glanced around before kissing Nico’s cheek, also starting to blush, before grabbing a glass of water and going to sit at the table.

Several rounds later, Naomi was standing at the threshold to the dining room, smiling softly at the three boys who were playing their card game.

Kurtis punched the air as he put down his last card. “Ha! I win!” He pointed. “Take that, Nico!”

Will was laughing while Nico rolled his eyes.

“Alright boys. All three of you need to go to bed.” Naomi murmured.

Kurtis gathered up his cards and looked over to Nico, who arched a brow, the pair silently agreeing to a rematch at a later date. Then Kurtis said goodnight and went up to his room to go to bed.

“Are you two alright sharing a room?” Naomi asked, pulling extra pillows out of a closet.

Will and Nico glanced at each other, both trying not to blush.

“Yeah, sure. No problem.” Will nodded after a moment, taking the pillows from his mom and starting up the stairs.

Naomi grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him back, giving him a kiss on the cheek. “Just because you’re a big boy now doesn’t mean you can just waltz up to bed without giving your mother a goodnight kiss.”

Will sighed, giving his mom a hug and kissing her cheek before climbing the stairs and going to his room, followed by a snickering Nico. “Oh shut it, di Angelo.” He rolled his eyes after he closed his bedroom door.

“What? Your relationship with your mom is… cute.” Nico snorted.

"You keep up with what you're doing and she'll be making you do the same." Will shook his head. “You’re certainly sparing no expense in endearing yourself to my family.”

“Well… I thought if… maybe if they knew me a bit more before you came out, then maybe they wouldn’t be as startled or upset.” Nico replied quietly.

Will looked over, blinking before smiling softly. “Thank you, Nico.”

“Yeah. Of course.” Nico nodded before taking the extra pillows and blankets from Will’s arms and creating himself a nest in the corner of Will’s room.

Will looked over as he went to his dresser. “You want any pajamas or anything? I mean, the pants would be long, but…”

Nico nodded after a moment before catching the pair of pajamas that Will tossed him. He went to the bathroom and changed before curling up in his nest, looking around Will's room.

Will came back from the bathroom down the hall a few minutes later, smiling softly when he saw Nico curled up in the corner of the room. He sat on his bed and picked up a picture frame next to it, a picture of him and his little sister. He made a pained face before putting the picture down and staring out the window, closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.


End file.
